David Robinson Inducted Into The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2008 :: The "Admiral" was a member of the 1992 Dream Team and competed in three Olympic Games.

The "Admiral" was a member of the 1992 Dream Team and competed in three Olympic Games.

April 15, 2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The U.S. Olympic Committee today announced that three-time basketball Olympian David Robinson will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Presented by Allstate as a member of the distinguished Class of 2008. The induction ceremony will take place June 19 in Chicago at the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater. The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2008 is comprised of nine Olympians, one Paralympian, an Olympic Coach, Veteran, Team and Special Contributor.

A member of the historic 1992 Dream Team in Barcelona, David Robinson, A.K.A. "The Admiral," is the only U.S. men's basketball player to be named to three Olympic teams and has played on a total of nine USA Basketball teams. He has collected five gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal while helping USA teams to an overall record of 61-6 (.910 winning percentage).

"It's a tremendous honor for David to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, and he certainly deserves this recognition," said USA Basketball Executive Director Jim Tooley. "USA Basketball is very proud of David's contributions to the game of basketball and to the community in general, and we are pleased that his legacy will be preserved in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. He has compiled an incredible history of service, dedication and success, and he truly represents the best of what an athlete can be."

Robinson won gold medals in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, 1992 Tournament of the Americas, 1986 World Championship and 1986 Goodwill Games; he won a silver medal in the 1987 Pan American Games; and a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympics. Additionally, he represented the USA as a member of the 1988 Select Team and 1985 FIBA World Club Championship Team.

Also inducted in the Class of 2008 were Wrestler Bruce Baumgartner, athletics athlete Joan Benoit, figure skater Brian Boitano, boxer Oscar de La Hoya, equestrian J. Michael Plumb, swimmer Amy Van Dyken, shooter Lones W. Wigger, Jr. and Paralympic swimmer John Morgan as individuals. Figure skating coach Carlo Fassi will be inducted in the Coach category along with Olympic figure skating gold medalist Carol Heiss Jenkins in the Veteran category. The members of the 1996 Women's Gymnastics Team - Amanda Borden, Amy Chow, Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Jaycie Phelps and Kerri Strug - will also be honored in the Team category, as will legendary Hollywood producer Frank Marshall as the Special Contributor.

The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, an awards-show style ceremony for which Kleenex and AT&T are associate sponsors, will air in a nationally-televised broadcast this summer.

"The legacies and contributions of this year's honorees will now live forever as they join our country's greatest Olympians in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame," said Lisa Cochrane, vice president of marketing at Allstate. "As a sponsor of the Hall of Fame since its celebrated revitalization in 2004, Allstate is proud to help protect and preserve this important part of our identity and source of American pride."

Beginning today (April 15), tickets to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony can be purchased at www.usolympichalloffame.com

David Robinson
The USA's only three-time male basketball Olympian and one of only seven U.S. basketball athletes (Anne Donovan, Teresa Edwards, Lisa Leslie, Katrina McClain, Dawn Staley and Sheryl Swoopes) to be named to three or more Olympic teams, Robinson was twice named USA Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year (1986 and co-recipient as a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team).

Considered by many to be one of the top centers of his era, Robinson also compiled an impressive NBA career. The No. 1 pick in the 1987 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, Robinson aided San Antonio to a pair of NBA titles (1999, 2003) and earned the following honors: NBA MVP (1995); Defensive Player of the Year (1992); Rookie of the Year (1990); All-NBA First Team (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996); All-NBA Second Team (1994, 1998); All-NBA Third Team (1990, 1993, 2000, 2001); All-Defensive First Team (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996); All-Defensive Second Team (1990, 1993, 1994, 1998); 10-time NBA All-Star; NBA Sportsmanship Award (2001); One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).

A 1987 U.S. Naval Academy graduate with a mathematics degree, Robinson, who took a leave of absence from the Navy to compete on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team, honored a commitment to serve two years in the Navy before joining the NBA. Defined by his actions off the court even more than on the court, in recognition of his outstanding efforts in 2003 the NBA re-named its award for outstanding charitable efforts after Robinson. The monthly NBA Community Assist Award winners now receive the David Robinson Plaque. Among his charitable achievements was a $9 million commitment toward the construction and operation of The Carver Academy, an independent school for San Antonio students from a culturally diverse community. Considered the single largest gift ever made by a professional athlete, the school benefits many low-income, at-risk students. The school offers elementary-age children a challenging academic program featuring small classes, leadership opportunities and a nurturing family-like environment.

Robinson is still the school's career leader in points (2,669), rebounds (1,314), blocked shots (516) and field goal percentage (.612), among several other categories.

About the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was established in 1979 to celebrate the achievements of America's premier athletes in the modern Olympic Games. The first U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame class was inducted in 1983 during ceremonies in Chicago. That Charter Class, which included Olympic Greats such as Jesse Owens, Jim Thorpe and Cassius Clay, remains the largest group (20 individuals and one team) ever inducted. In 2004, after a 12-year hiatus, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame was revived through the support of the Allstate Insurance Company as the presenting sponsor.

To date, 213 athletes (including seven U.S. teams), coaches, and 13 special contributors to the U.S. Olympic Movement have been enshrined in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Hame. From the Charter Class of 1983 to the 2008 inductees, Hall members represent an American honor roll of athletic ambassadors representing the ideals of brotherhood and fair play.

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